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05/25/10

Council adopts $20.7 million school budget; validation set for June 8

By a 5-2 vote, the Town Council on May 25 adopted a $20.7 million school budget for fiscal 2011, subject to citizen validation on June 8.

The school budget is 3.4 percent higher than this year's $20 million spending plan, and carries with it a 34-cent increase to the $12.54 tax rate for school services, an increase of 2.4 percent.

The school budget was part of an overall $31.4 million general fund budget the council adopted May 25, which includes municipal, school, county and Community Services. The overall tax-rate increase included in the adopted budgets is 1.8 percent, up 31 cents over the current rate of $17.54. (Click here for budget summary)

The school budget validation will be held along with the primary, referendum and municipal advisory election on Fort Williams parking fees June 8, 2010. Polls will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. at Cape Elizabeth High School. Absentee voting is underway at Town Hall during business hours, and ballots for the school budget validation will be available beginning May 26. (Click here for more information on absentee voting.)

"When I see a school budget that is going to result in a modest tax increase of 1.8 percent overall, and I look at the tremendous services that our town provides to its citizens both on the municipal side and on the school side, I'm proud to endorse that budget," said Councilor David Sherman, who along with councilors Jim Walsh, Penny Jordan, Sara Lennon and Frank Governali, voted to adopt the school budget as presented.

Councilor Jessica Sullivan and Chair Anne Swift-Kayatta voted against the increase in spending for schools, both citing the current economy and decline in student enrollment.

Sullivan said that even the flat $8.5 million municipal budget adopted by the council May 25 could have done better in providing tax relief. But, she said she could not support a school budget where enrollment has dropped 7.5 percent since 2006's 1,847 population, and spending per pupil has increased at least 15 percent since that time. "That's the type of figure I just can't get my head around," Sullivan said.

Swift-Kayatta took a similar position, adding that school spending has increased ahead of the rate of inflation, and net average salaries for teachers will increase 4.9 percent after a concession given by the teachers union. "An increase in income which few others in our community would see," Swift-Kayatta said.

"I cannot endorse another sizeable school spending increase no matter how good our teachers and school programs are when enrollment continues to fall and spending per student has increased so much, 29 percent over the last five years," Swift-Kayatta said.

Councilor Penny Jordan said she appreciated her fellow councilors' abilities with numbers and statistics. "I don't want to repeat a lot around student-staff ratios, student teacher ratios, CPIs and other numbers because that's not where I come from," Jordan said. "I am a taxpayer, I'm a working class taxpayer. I count every penny that I have, and when I think about where can I spend my dollar best, I will tell you it's on the education of young people, because education is the cornerstone of our town. It's the ticket into the game," Jordan said.

All councilors thanked town and school staff and the School Board for their diligence examining all aspects of their 2011 budget proposal. "You folks have set a brand new standard and elevated the discussion about the budget, it's going to be a tough act to follow," Councilor Jim Walsh said of the School Department. One of the aspects of the school budget Walsh lauded was the amount budgeted for contingency. "That's good planning, that's good administration, and frankly that's good for the taxpayers of Cape Elizabeth," he said.

The council also adopted several special-fund budgets for Fort Williams, rescue, sewer, the Spurwink Church and Riverside Cemetery, Fort Williams Park, Portland Head Light, Thomas Jordan Trust and the new infrastructure improvement fund.

Replays of the budget adoption meeting and May 24, 2010 budget hearing will air over CETV Channel 3 several times before the June 8 election. (Click here for program schedule)

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